Distance Time, Distant Place
by UnderTheUnderneath
Summary: Thrust into a distant time, a boy must become the hero of a prophecy. He must face perilous trials as he ventures through this new and foreign land, and uncover the truth of his birth. Accompanied by friends and foes, the boy must act fast to save both the future and past.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters just my ideas :)**

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**CHAPTER ONE**

"NARUTO!"

"NARUTO, GET UP!"

"NARUTO!"

A slender girl with long, brown hair and eyes, and fair skin stormed up the stairs and banged on the first door to her left.

"NARUTO!"

Inside the room, a blonde-haired boy stirred as the loud banging woke him from his sleep. Naruto groggily rubbed his eyes as he slowly stood up to stretch before he walked to the door to open it.

"Demo...Ayame-chan" he said yawning as he opened the door.

"Get up or you will be late for school. And don't forget your errand for Madame Shijimi" she said.

"Ok, ok" murmured Naruto.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he began to get ready for school.

After he finished his morning rituals in the bathroom, Naruto grabbed a burnt orange shirt and a pair of dark jeans from his closet and rapidly began dressing himself. After he finished tying up his shoes, he flew down the stairs and wolfed down the breakfast Ayame prepared for him. Once he finished eating, he grabbed his backpack.

"Naruto-kun don't forget your lunch" said she smiling as she held his homemade food in her hands.

"Thanks Ayame-chan" he said taking his lunch as he ran out the house to get to school.

After Naruto was out of the eyesight of Ayame, he slowed his pace to a walk. Thoughts of skipping briefly crossed his mind. "_But then Iruka would be upset..._"

As Naruto passed a small playground, he saw other children playing on the slides and merry-go-round with their parents, and immediately he felt sad. He'd never had anyone to play with him. He did not even know who his real parents were. Iruka and Ayame were kind enough to adopt him, but he still felt as if a part of him were missing no matter how much love and affection Ayame and Iruka gave him. To him, they were like siblings to him.

**-flashback-**

_One night, it was raining heavily and Iruka was coming home late from work. Unfortunately, he had forgot to fill up on gas, and right at this playground, his car gave out. At this time Iruka and Ayame, the daughter of the owner of Naruto's favorite ramen stand in the whole wide world, Teuchi, were dating. Iruka gave her a quick call to inform her about his situation, and she and her father agreed to come help him out. _

_As Iruka waited for Ayame and her dad, he heard a small wailing noise outside car. He stepped out of his car to find the source of the noise. Lo and behold, a small baby laid in the sandbox, crying as the rain smothered him A soaked piece of paper was nestled between his blankets. Barely eligible, Iruka was able to make out the name "Naruto". He quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around the infant and rushed back to his car. When Teuchi and Ayame arrived, Iruka showed them the baby, and they took the baby home for the night. _

_The following day, Ayame contacted the police about the baby to see if a missing persons report had been filed. Nothing could be found about the small baby. There was no date of birth, social security records or any type of information pertaining to the baby. Unfortunately, Naruto was taken away and placed in the orphanage. _

_At the orphanage, Naruto struggled with learning to read and write at first. The caretakers grew impatient with his lack of progress and disregarded him. The older kids mocked and beat him. The only light in his hell was Iruka and Ayame's visits. They took Naruto out on his birthdays and holidays to celebrate. _

_For years, Ayame and Iruka fought for legal custody of Naruto, and finally two years ago they gained guardianship of him when he was ten years old. That was the same year Iruka and Ayame got married. And when they gained custody of Naruto, they bought a new house and let Naruto pick his room first. Under their care, Naruto flourished. _

_Yet, trouble still came his way. Because of the outlandish whisker marks on his face, many of the children at school mocked and bullied Naruto. Naruto spent more time in the principal's office than in class. Again, his studies slipped. Then one day, a new kid appeared. His name was Sato Okinawa. Immediately, the girls crooned over Sato, declaring him their future husband. In class, Sato was a genius, making the highest grade on every assignment. In sports, he dominated. Naruto felt resentful of the affection he immediately received. What made Sato so special from everyone else? Naruto felt if everyone gave him the opportunity, he could be just as good as Sato. But, Naruto was a misfit. With his unruly blonde, cerulean blue eyes, and whisker marks, he stuck out like a sore thumb. So, Naruto began skipping school. However, that stint did not last very long. Once Iruka found out he was skipping school, he admonished Naruto. From then on, whenever he stepped out of line, Iruka was there to put him back in place._

**- end in flashback-**

Despite it all, Naruto was still grateful for everything Ayame and Iruka sacrificed and gave to have him as their son. Now, all he hoped for was a younger sibling to play with and mentor as the older brother.

As he thought of having a younger brother or sister, a smile graced his face. With those thoughts in mind, he resumed his walk to school. Still stuck in his little dreamworld, Naruto briefly glanced at his watch and froze. He was five minutes late for class.

"OH NO! IRUKA'S GOING TO KILL ME!" he shouted as he took off, racing to the school.

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"Hey Naruto wanna come over to my house?" asked one of Naruto's friends.

"Thanks Eiji but, I have to run an errand for Madame Shijimi today" replied Naruto.

Naruto leaned against the school playgrounds fence as Eiji looked around at the bustle of people passing by. This was Naruto and his friend's meeting spot. Naruto's group consisted of Chouza, Eiji, and Haru. Chouza was a skinny boy with copper colored hair. His father was owner and chef of the local barbeque and grill restaurant. Haru was the laziest kid in the world, but had a cunning mind that proved useful in many of Naruto's pranks. He had long hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. His dad worked as part of the Konoha police force. Eiji's mom was the owner of one of the local grocery supply stores that Naruto and his family frequently visited.

"Man, school is such a waste of time" sighed Haru as he slowly made his way to where Naruto and Eiji were.

"You say that everyday" said Eiji

"Eh, doesn't mean it isn't true" replied Haru

"So, what are you up to? Naruto has an errand to run and my mom wants me to help today at the store" asked Eiji, absentmindedly rubbing his chin.

"Huh, I think I'm going to stay here awhile longer" replied Haru

"You mean until your mom finds you" snickered Naruto

"That woman is always yelling about one thing or another" said Haru, "I'm used to it now, just like my dad."

Naruto and Eiji sweat dropped at that comment. "Anyways, it's time for me to go. See you guys tomorrow" said Naruto.

Walking the same route as this morning, Naruto hastened to get back home. He had thirty minutes to eat, then leave on his bike to search for Tora. That cat was the stuff of legends. Elusive and crafty, many had failed in capturing the cat. All except Naruto, and tonight he would succeed again.

Placing his bike on the side of the building, Naruto entered the abandoned shrine searching for Tora.

"Stupid cat, where are you?" he muttered, searching behind boxes and under chairs.

Continuing through the building, he began to get more and more frustrated as each second passed by and he had yet to find Tora. Though, if Naruto were in Tora's shoes (or paws?) he would have run away too.

Despite, _or better yet_, because of the huge amount of affection Madam Shijimi showed to the cat, which includes nearly squeezing the life out of the cat, Tora constantly runs away. However, due to being the mayor of Konoha's wife, Madam Shijimi offered very generous rewards for finding her cat. Some people would think it ridiculous but Tora was one nifty cat who knew how to get around Konoha city. In his opinion, the cat could have robbed the bank and got away with murder. Tora was a professional escapist and knew places to hide where no one would ever find the cat.

But Naruto had been chasing this cat since he was eight years old and, now at twelve years of age, he knew every place the cat would go to. The Tanaka shrine was the cat's favorite place to hide. The shrine had once belonged to a prestigious family known as the Tanaka's who was one of Japan's oldest descents. However the family, boasting fifty members, was murdered. Only Shinji Tanaka, a grandson, was the sole survivor. Shinji sold all his family's estate, paid one last visit to the shrine of his ancestors, and permanently left Japan.

Ever since the murder, people who visited the shrine claimed that the shrine was haunted by the souls of the murdered family whom were searching for revenge against their murderer. Of course there were the daredevils looking to dispute this claim by setting up camps within the shrines intending to stay the night and prove everyone wrong.

For the most part, each person that stayed in the shrine would come out the next morning unscathed. At least physically. Everyone who spent the night came out uncharacteristically subdued and unwilling to speak of their experience of staying one night in the shrine.

However, he wasn't going to be stopped by some little ghost story. He was Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo!

All he had to do was get into the shrine, find Tora, and get out before the sun sets. Then he would have enough money to eat at Ichiraku's. He just hoped he wouldn't run into that jerk Sato. Sato's family owned numerous restaurants in Konoha. As such, the Okinawa family was moderately rich. For appearance sake, he appeared to be the perfect child. He made the highest grades in school and participated in athletics and many school events. It was trivial to the adults that Sato acted as he was of royal descent. But Naruto knew what he was truly like. He and his group of friends were the dark spot in Naruto's school life. They took every opportunity to belittle or mock Naruto because of his appearance. Most of the teachers refused to believe Naruto when he told them of Sato's bullying. Because of his family, Sato had everything rolled out on a red carpet right at his feet.

Naruto had to struggle since day one, earning everything he got with hard work. But his results were lackluster. Naruto was currently the dead last at the Junior Academy, shortest among boys and girls in his class, and the most untalented. Shaking his head, Naruto determinedly squashed those thoughts. He wasn't dead last and one day he would show Konoha City. But first and foremost he had to find that pesky cat.

"Tora!" Naruto hissed quickly scoping around in the main yard in front of the red torii gates before heading into the main hall of the shrine. He came to a stop in the main hallway which led to the back of the shrine where a well was situated. An old man's tale went that back in the feudal ages the Tanaka's ancestors warded the well to prevent evil spirits from seeping into the human world and lived here in the shrine as its protectors. Down the hallway, doors lined the walls on each side; no doubt rooms that had been used by the Tanaka's. There were a total of fifteen rooms. More rooms were situated on the second floor where also a dining room was set up. He had once wandered up there looking for Tora, and had found the cat on the outer balcony that wrapped around the whole upper level.

He strode down the hall, taking in the paintings and ancient scrolls that hung on the walls. Many different time periods hung there. Naruto recognized a painting from the Meiji period. The old man at the ramen shop had many paintings from the Meiji period in his shop.

He came out into an open area; there was a medium sized room that split the back porch into an opened porch on either side of the back hall that opened onto the backyard, giving him a clear look at the small bamboo forest that the few priests who occasionally came out and took care of this shrine had grown. And back behind that was another district and many intersecting roads. But still there was no sight of Tora.

The door to one of the room was slightly ajar. He carefully pushed the door open. In the middle of the room was a medium-sized rounded well built out of cherry wood. This whole room was built of the material. And there sitting on the ledge was Tora.

Tora regarded him with a smug look as if to say 'You finally found me', swishing his tail back and forth.

"Mangy cat" muttered Naruto walking up to the well. Tora let Naruto pick him up without the usual clawing that followed the previous times Naruto had gotten close to the cat. Madam Shijimi probably fed Tora around this time and the cat was ready to go home. Of course, Madam Shijimi would take the cat back in more than welcoming arms as she always did, proclaiming her love for the cat. It was a good thing Naruto had decided to find Tora right after school. With his payment, he could treat himself to a quick round of ramen at the old man Teuchi's ramen stand before heading off to school in the morning.

"_One miso ramen coming right up!_" he thought, mentally drooling at the thought of a hot, fresh bowl of noodles with delicious miso broth.

With Tora comfortably tucked under one arm, Naruto strode through the hallway.

"…_.Come, Hero of a Distant Time…"_

"Huh?!" exclaimed Naruto jumping. The voice sounded like a young girl probably around his age. It drifted down and around the whole hallway and echoed in the silence. Tightening his grip on Tora, Naruto sprinted towards freedom. He got the cat and now it was time he got his payment.

Just as Naruto passed the first well, he heard a creaking noise, as if wood had broken. Turning around, he did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Turning around to leave, he heard another noise, but kept walking. An arm made out wood sprung from the well, grabbing Naruto and pulling him in.

Naruto screamed as he fell, waiting for the impact with the bottom of the well. As he fell further and further down the well, he began to notice small changes. The interior of the well had changed from wood to stone and the air was no longer cold but warm with foreign smells contained in it. Sounds permeated the air. He could hear the sound of old man speaking in a dialect he didn't understand and the faint murmur of women speaking some type of incantation filled the wells.

He continued to fall passing some the objects turned into vague shapes then everything faded into a deep impenetrable black. Naruto felt his descent began to slow. Briefly, he was floating before he was doused in a blanket of water. Floundering around, Naruto realized he was underwater and began to swim to the top. Breaking the surface, Naruto swam his way to the shore where he crawled to the edge of the forest.

Suddenly a loud squeal sounded from his left frightening the teen. Scrambling quickly to his feet, he took off into the forest as fast as he could go; stopping once he was out of breath. Deciding to rest, Naruto leaned back against the tree as he took in his surroundings. Tall trees loomed above blocking out the sunlight. Small rays of light barely filtered through the canopy. Birds fluttered back and forth through the air calling to each other. All around the forest teemed with animal life. Panic set into Naruto's stomach. He was hungry, tired, and alone.

"Where am I?" Naruto uttered as he stared around the forest.

A peculiar scent that smelled like food wafted towards the teen. With a growling stomach, he slowly made his way towards it, wary of coming across something dangerous. As quietly as possible, Naruto snuck his way forward before coming upon a lone burning fire. Above the fire sat a spit with a piece of meat slowing cooking with a small pot hanging below it. Cautiously looking around, he made sure no one was present as he slowly crept towards the cooked meat. Just as he reached for the meat, a blade appeared at his throat.

"Who are you? And what are you doing out here?" a harsh baritone voice questioned as they jerked Naruto back away from the spit.

Falling roughly to the ground, Naruto quickly spun around to see his attackers. With their faces set in scowls, two men who appeared to be middle-aged with white, pupil-less eyes stared down at the teen. Both were dressed in white shirt with loose sleeves, matching pants, and these oddly shaped sandals that at the middle of their calves. One had dark brown cropped hair while the other had shoulder length hair. Both regarded the teen with disdainful stares.

"My parents told me not to talk to strangers."

One of the men roughly grabbed Naruto by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"Hey, hey, don't hurt the kid. Put him down Kenshi and put your kunai away, Yuuhei" Coming out the woods, a man dressed in garbs similar to the others stood before the trio.

"But sir..." began one of the men as he placed Naruto back on the ground.

"It's all right. I'm pretty sure the kid just got himself lost in these woods. There's no need to get all up in arms." The older man said as he took a seat before the fire.

"He could be a spy, Ryoshi-sama. We are sworn to protect you and as such we must take out all possible threats, no matter how insignificant."

"This boy is not a threat." Ryoshi replied, waving off their accusations. "Enough with the negativity lets enjoy our food. "

Turning back to the fire, Ryoshi tore a piece of meat of for the boy. Placing the meat in a bowl, he poured some soup into the bowl and handed to Naruto. Naruto wolfed down his food.

"Hello, I'm Ryoshi Hyuuga. So what's your name kid?" Ryoshi asked

"Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto said in between bites of food.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Ryoshi asked as he calmly chewed on his meat and sipped on his miso broth.

"I don't know how I got here. I think I fell out the sky"

At this, the guards faces burned red with indignation.

"Sir, he's clearly lying! No one can fall out of the sky! He is clearly a spy!" Kenshi, the guard with the short cropped hair, indignantly replied.

"You fell out the sky, hm?" Ryoshi inquired as he leaned back to gaze into the sky, ignoring Kenshi.

"Yea. I was in this shrine when a piece of wood lunged out of the wall and grabbed me." Naruto replied as he reached for another piece of meat, not noticing the incredulous look Ryoshi gave him.

"Could you be the child of prophecy" muttered Ryoshi as he stared deep into the flames.

"What was that sir?" Naruto asked as he took a deep bit from his meat.

"Oh, nothing" Ryoshi calmly said as he moved to pour himself some more broth. Just as Ryoshi was moving the ladle to to pour his broth, the bowl split in two as a shiny,metal black object embedded itself into the ground.

"Wha…?" Naruto questioned before Ryoshi pulled the teen to the ground. Quicker than Naruto could follow, Kenshi and Yuuhei had already moved into their battle stance in front of Ryoshi, scanning the trees and surrounding area for intruders.

Quickly dousing the flame with the leftover broth, Ryoshi pulled Naruto along with him as he fled from their campsite.

Kensei and Yuuhei jumped up towards the trees, trailing behind Ryoshi as he carried Naruto along with on, staying below on the ground.

Explosions boomed from behind them, trees falling aside in the wake of destruction. Sprinting from the smoke, three man rushed at the two guards.

"Yuuhei, stay with Master Ryoshi" Kensei said as he stopped preparing for the attackers.

The three men drew long blades to fight the guard. Kensei swirled as a blue substance enveloped him, blasting the three men away from himself.

As Kensei fought to hold the three men off, Yuuhei rushed to catch up to Naruto and Ryoshi. Suddenly, a hail of kunai rained down on the young ninja from the left. Yuuhei managed to dodge a few, but Naruto could see he was heavily injured. The assailants leapt from the trees. Even though he knew this was his last fight, Yuuhei fought valiantly to protect the boy and his master.

"What's going on Ryoshi-san? What about Kenshi and Yuuhei?" the bewildered teen asked as he followed along behind the older man. Racing past the trees, Ryoshi brought them to a stop in the middle of a clearing. Above, the canopy blocked out any sunlight. Ryoshi warily looked around before turning to face Naruto.

"This is the price you pay for having a Kekkai Genkai. Every wants your power and will stop at nothing to have it. I'm sorry Naruto-kun but you have come at a very bad time. The entire land is at war with each other. I must return you back to your time quickly." Ryoshi said as he knelt before Naruto.

"I don't understand." Naruto muttered as tears slowly ran down his face. Panic set into the teen's stomach, paralyzing him before the older man.

"I don't expect you to, kid" Ryoshi said, shooting a wry grin at Naruto as he reached into his robes. Pulling out on amulet on a leather cord, Ryoshi placed the talisman around Naruto's neck and began chanting incantations. Suddenly blue points alighted on all five digits of Ryoshi's right hand. In response a red chakra flared around Naruto in a protective cocoon.

"_You must be the one"_ Ryoshi thought in awe as he regarded the sight before him. Shaking himself from his stupor, Ryoshi finished his incantations.

"Goodbye Naruto-san" Ryoshi said as he pressed his hand to Naruto's abdomen, "when it is time, the amulet will bring you back."

As excruciating pain rushed through Naruto's body, a brightlight blossomed all around the teen rendering him unconscious.

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**End of Chapter One**

**Thanks for reading and please review. :)**

**Also, critique is welcome but NO FLAMES/FLAMING. Thanks!**

**_UnderTheUnderneath & Dark Kamiya_**

**I would like to thank the Crafty Cracker for BETAing for me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Without further ado, please read, review, and enjoy.**

**Chapter Two**

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_5 years later_

"_Good-bye…..Naruto-__san_"

Naruto jolted up with sweat glistening his forehead before the teen blearily looked around his room. Sighing to himself, he laid back down into his bed, rubbing his eyes as he turned to face his clock. It read 7:02.

"_Why does this keep happening_?" he thought, as he rubbed his face before looking up at the ceiling. For the last few weeks the same dream had been plaguing him.

A light knock sounded on the teen's door, pulling Naruto from his thoughts.

"I'm up" he tiredly murmured as he continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"Naruto-kun, it's time to get up for school" Ayame informed him, poking her head into the room, "I prepared your favorite dish for your first day of school!"

"Eh, Thanks Ayame-chan" he said as he smiled at the young woman, "Is Iruka up yet?"

"Iruka almost as bad as you when it comes to waking up in the morning" she playfully responded as she shook her head in mock dismay. "I don't know what I'm gonna do about you boys" she laughed.

"Well, I guess you better hope to have a girl" Iruka said as he grabbed her in a hug from behind, rubbing her slightly protruding stomach; causing a slight blush to dust her cheeks. Opening the door, Iruka regarded Naruto with a proud eye.

"Excited for your first day of school?" he asked as Naruto rose from his bed.

"Yea" Naruto replied as he stretched before heading to his closet where he pulled his school uniform out to wear. "Only cause thats where all my friends will be".

"Well, hurry up and get dressed so we can all eat breakfast before I head out for work" Iruka cheerfully replied eyeing his wristwatch before heading downstairs with Ayame.

Closing his closet, Naruto threw the black gakuran onto his unmade bed before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower and brush his teeth. As the warm water fell on him, he wondered what his friends were doing as they got ready for the first day of school.

Turning off the water, he draped a towel around his waist and stepped out the shower. Wiping the mist off the mirror, he grabbed his toothbrush. As Naruto lifted his toothbrush to his mouth, his eyes flashed red in the mirror before settling back into their familiar color. Startled, he dropped his toothbrush in the sink.

Learning closer, Naruto inspected the mirror for any more oddities in his face. Writing the incident off as a trick of the mind, he resumed brushing his teeth. After he finished in the bathroom, he grabbed his uniform, dressing hurriedly to get downstairs for breakfast.

"GAH, finally!" replied Iruka, playfully exasperate, "I thought I was going to starve to death."

As Iruka and Naruto lightly bantered back and forth, Ayame set the table. Once the table was set, everyone silently prayed before eating.

Naruto was in heaven as he chowed down on Ayame's homemade ramen. He could eat ramen all day, every day. Especially Ayame's. After all, she had learned from the best (in his opinion) old man Teuchi.

After ten minutes, Naruto and Iruka leaned back from the table contently patting their full stomachs.

"Well, I believe it's time for you guys to head out for school and work" said Ayame, placing all the dishes into the dishwasher. As she cleaned up the kitchen, Iruka and Naruto headed out; he stopped to grab his backpack from near the door before following after Iruka.

"See you later, Ayame-chan" Naruto loudly called as he closed the door behind him. Together, they walked through the neighborhood; each caught up in their own thoughts. Iruka turned a fond gaze towards Naruto before clearing his throat to catch the teen's attention. The two came to a stop at the end their street.

"You know Naruto, I really am proud of you" Iruka said as he placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have matured so much over the years and helped others along the way."

"Eh, you say this every year on my first day" Naruto sheepishly replied as he rubbed the back of his head, "and besides I still need to work on some things."

"Honestly Naruto, if you could see yourself over years through someone else's eyes, you would see how much you have changed."

"Well, I wouldn't be where I am without you and Ayame-chan" Naruto boisterously replied.

"There's something of yours that I have been holding onto for a while now. It was around your neck the day I found you. Ayame felt that I should what to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday, but I think now is a great time to give it to you." Iruka said as he reached into his pocket. He pulled a green crystal gem hanging from a simple black cord out. Light reflected in fluorescent colors off of the necklace. He placed the necklace around Naruto's neck. Speechless, Naruto held the gem in his hand.

"_Could this have belonged to my parents?_" the teen thought.

"I know you've been trying to get information on your parents for years and I thought it was just cruel of me to hold to a keepsake they could have given to you" Iruka sheepishly replied in response to Naruto's expression, "Maybe this can help you in some way".

"Thank you, Iruka" Naruto said, grinning. This could be the key to his questions about his parents.

"Well anyways, it's time I headed to work and you to school" he said as he checked his wristwatch before patting Naruto on the back. Checking both ways, Iruka crossed the street, blending in with the everyday crowd.

Continuing on his path, Naruto walked to the nearby bus station. Taking a seat on the wooden bench, he pulled out his cellphone as he waited. As Naruto glanced around for the bus, he saw a missing persons paper plastered to the glass of the bus awning. Naruto's grip tightened on his phone. The horn of the bus broke him from his thoughts. As the passengers slowly got off the bus, Naruto patiently made his way onto the bus. Taking a seat near a window, he leaned back into the seat. As the bus pulled away from the curb, he stared at the window once again in his thoughts. This time he entertained the idea of a blonde tall man who would be his father laughing along with a woman who would be his mother as they chased a five year old Naruto.

"_Sometimes, I wish things were different_" he thought.

All around him, passengers boarded the bus, taking their seats as they all waited for their route to be reached. As the bus slowed to a stop, Naruto spotted his friends waiting at the stop. Ever since he could remember, they always met up and walked together to school.

"What's up, Naruto? Ready for our final year of high school?" Eiji asked as him and the boys fell into step beside Naruto.

"Of course, once I graduate I can leave this dump" Naruto cheekily replied as they crossed the street.

"Yea yea, we know you all hate anything that has to deal with school" Chouza replied back, clapping him heartily on the back.

"Hey, I'm one of the best athletes that has come through Konoha High" Naruto replied, childishly sticking his tongue out.

"Maybe you should try a career that has something to do with sports" Haru said

"Maybe, who knows.." Naruto replied back. Energetically, the boys bickered back and forth about school, their first day back, and their plans for this year.

Cupping his hands behind his head, Naruto stared into azure sky as he reminisced on how far he and had his friends had come.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Naruto slowed his walk down to a slower pace as they boys continued ahead.

"_Man, my final year of high school_…..." the teen thought as he shook his head.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, the teen sped up his pace to reach his friends. Just as he reached his friends, he felt a burning sensation on his hand. Pulling his burned hand out his pocket, the teen noticed the burning sensation had went away. In fact, his hand was visibly undamaged.

"Hey, something wrong Naruto?" Eiji asked as him and the boys stopped to check on their friend.

"Eh, I'm fine.." Naruto said waving his friends off, "You guys can go ahead without me. I'll catch up" he said flashing them a thumb up.

As soon as his friends were gone, Naruto stepped into the a side alley and began turning his pockets out.

'_ping'_

Looking down, Naruto saw a medallion laying on the ground. He bent down to pick it up.

Turning it in his hands, the teen inspected the medallion. Hanging on a leather cord, the medallion appeared to be made out of iron. On the front side, an oddly shaped flame was centered on a yellow background.

"Where did this come from?" the teen wondered as he turned the amulet over and over in his hand. He certainly didn't remember picking it up this morning. The medallion pulsed again, eliciting another flash of burning pain against Naruto's skin. The flame in the middle of the medallion lit up and small light surrounded the medallion. The light shone down the alleyway, curving around the corner, out of eyesight. Naruto followed the light to the end of the alleyway.

"What the…" Naruto said as he began following the light. Coming out on the opposite street, the light stretched three blocks back down the street. He continued to follow the light, forgetting all about school.

Finally, the light flickered at of existence. Looking up, Naruto saw a dilapidated sign barely hanging above the doorway, Craning his head to the side to read the sign, he realized he was at the Tanaka Shrine. Shrugging his shoulders, the teen entered the building as he slid the medallion back into his pocket.

Standing in the large anteroom, he stared at the sunlight filtering through the holes in the roof. It had been years since anyone stepped foot in the shrine especially when the monks stopped maintaining the building. Anything of value was stripped from shrine, leaving the bare walls exposed and the building falling to pieces. It was a far cry from its well-maintained condition from when used to come here as a teen.

Suddenly, he could hear voices from further in the building.

"_G-ghosts"_

Creeping forward, Naruto looked in the rooms off the main hallway. No one was there. Nervously, he continued through the rest of the shrine, unable to find anyone. At the back of the shrine, he stood in the middle of the room in front of a medium-sized rounded well built out of cherry wood.

"…_.Come, Hero of a Distant Time…"_

Naruto gulped, before peering down the well.

Nothing. It was probably just his imagination.

He let out the breath he had been holding.

Abruptly, a blue light shot upwards from the well, engulfing him.

He screamed as he fell through the black void of space, his body prisoner to the pull of gravity as he fell.

Nearing the end of his freefall, Naruto's momentum suddenly slowed. Just as he was about to relax, his body was jerked up, tossing the teen wildly into the air. Nausea filled his body as black dots swarmed across his vision. Naruto's body stayed suspended in the air a few seconds before gravity carried him down. As his body slammed into the floor, the air in his lungs was painfully pushed out. In pain, the teen warily pushed himself up onto his knees. Clutching his head, Naruto surveyed his surroundings.

"Itie..." he grumbled, rubbing his back as he stood up.

"_What the heck is going on?_" he thought as he looked around.

He was standing deep inside the bottom of the well at what he assumed was still the Tanaka Shrine, however the stone bricking looked brand new as if the well was built yesterday. Directly above the well was an opening that allowed sunlight to shower down into the well. "_If I can get out of this well, I can escape_" Naruto thought as he eyed the opening in the roof.

"Eh!?" He loudly complained as he tried to no avail to scale the wall of the scale.

Suddenly a loud creak sounded through the room before abruptly cutting off. Warily, Naruto gazed upwards, frightened by the sudden noise.

"Hinata, come out of here, we have training to do.." a boyish voice hissed from above.

"Neji-nisan, I think something's in the well" a soft voiced hesitantly whispered back.

"We're not supposed to be in here, this isn't our concern" the boy said back, no longer whispering.

"L-let's just see what it is, and then we can go. I promise" the voice, Naruto determined was a girl, replied back. The two voices began to argue back and forth as to what should be done as he impatiently waited, his fate in their hands.

"Hey, I can hear you guys. HELP ME!" he yelled out, stomping indignantly on the hard-packed ground.

"Shh Hinata, it can hear us. We should leave and tell the Elders about this."

"Don't leave me, and I'M NOT AN IT! I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI DATTEBAYO!"

Quietness shrouded the room after Naruto's sudden outburst, the fear from earlier returning as he realized he may have scared his only hope of salvation away. Suddenly, two pale faces surrounded by dark hair appeared in his vision, scaring him witless.

"Who are you!" he screamed indignantly as he pointed accusingly at the two people.

"We're your only means of living" the boy harshly replied as he threw a rope down to Naruto.

"Don't have to be rude about it…" Naruto grumbled to himself as he began climbing his way out. Finally out of the claustrophobic confines of the well, he came face to face to his saviors.

A boy and a girl who appeared to be about the same age as him stood side by side as they regarded Naruto. The girl would shyly sneak looks at him and then immediately direct her gaze to the floor while the boy blatantly regarded him with a disdainful glare. They both were dressed in simple silk white long-sleeved shirts and long pants with their hair tied back into identical ponytails.

"So what are you are doing in the Hyuuga Compound?" the boy questioned demandingly.

"Last I checked I was in the Tanaka Shrine!" responded Naruto indignantly as he crossed his arms.

"Well you're mistaken and trespassing on ancient grounds. I suggest you leave."

"I don't know who died and told you to run things but I'm not going anywhere until I get answers" Naruto shot back, starring the boy head on. Both boys glared back and forth at each other, daring the other to make a move. Nervously, the girl stared back and forth between the two before stepping in front of the boy to face Naruto.

"I am Hinata Hyuuga and this is my cousin, Neji" the girl began, "we live here in the compound and protect our shrine."

"WHAT!" yelled Naruto incredulously, "This reads like a feudal era drama or something! I'm outta here." Turning to leave, he was stopped short. The boy, Neji, caught him by the wrist.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG ID-!" Naruto began before Neji clamped a hand over his mouth and grabbing him in a lock hold. Suddenly footsteps sounded from down the hallway. Neji and Hinata shared a look with each other.

"Go. If you're caught here this won't look good with Elders. I'll handle this." Neji said as he pushed Naruto towards the girl.

"But..." the girl started before sighing in defeat. Dragging Naruto behind her, the girl went to the wall. In a quick succession, she hit the wall in three spots with a slight point of her finger tips. A small square-shaped section of the wall fell away to reveal a hidden tunnel.

Pushing Naruto into the tunnel, the girl spared the hyuuga boy one last glance before following after Naruto. As soon as the girl stepped into the tunnel behind him, the wall slide back up to it's previous position, shrouding the two in an impenetrable darkness.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Shh, they might hear us" the girl whispered as she clapped her hand over Naruto's mouth. With baited breath, the two sat in the dank darkness. Right beside on the other side of the wall, two sets of footsteps passed right by. They heard the low creak of doors opening as whoever it was crossed into the previous room.

"Oh Neji it's you." a deep baritone voice stated, relief evident in his tone. "We heard a loud noise come from over this way and the seals went off. You see anything?"

"Thank goodness. It's only Kō " the girl muttered. Grabbing Naruto's hand , the girl led them through the darkness as the two men engaged in a conversation.

Silently the blonde followed behind the girl, occasionally bumping into her at times when she stopped to listen for guards or clansmen passing through. Slowly, she traversed the hidden tunnels as the two continued. Naruto had yet to hear any hints of conversation or people around them.

Just as the teen was about to question their whereabouts, the tunnel came to an abrupt end. Suddenly a blue light pierced through the darkness. Flinching back from the sudden invasion of light, Naruto heard a loud cracking noise. Opening his eyes, he saw a large opening with debris falling to the sides as the dust cleared.

"Dang! How did you do that?"

"I used my clan's technique, the Gentle Fist." the girl replied as she exited the tunnel

"Okay. What's that?" he asked as he followed after her.

"It's a taijutsu style known only to my clan."

Flashing through a set of hand seals, the girl went to the middle of the clearing, and scanned the surrounding area. Walking to stand next to the young woman, Naruto could see veins bulging from her eyes.

"Whoa! Are you okay?"

The girl shyly turned her gaze to him, uncomfortable with his behavior.

"Y-yes, I'm fine."

"But...your eyes.. the veins are bulging."

"This is my clan's Doujutsu, the Byakugan."

"Huh?"

"Do you know of the Hyuuga clan?"

"Um...no"

"Do you know what Chakra is?"

"Not really."

Turning stiffly, the girl proceeded to enter the forest.

"So, you never answered me earlier. Where are you taking me?"

"We're gonna stay here and wait for Neji." the girl replied as she took a seat under the shade of the trees. Crossing her legs and closing her eyes, the girl adopted a meditative stance.

"_Is she really __**meditating**__ in the middle of the forest?!_" Naruto thought to himself as he took a seat under the shade across from her. All around them, birds flittered through the trees shrilly calling one another. The leaves rustled as the wind blew through them.

"So...what was your name again?" Naruto asked as watched her mediate. With her legs perfectly crossed, both her hands resting on her knees with both palms facing upward, the girl exuded an air of calmness.

"I am Hinata Hyuuga."

"So when will Neji come back?" Naruto questioned as he watched the girl slowly inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Each time, her chest rose and fell in rhythm with her breathing.

"I don't know. A-ano..why are you staring at me?"

"I'm not." Naruto retorted with a blush creeping across his cheeks.

"Yes you are."

"Your eyes are closed so how would you know whether or not I'm looking at you?"

"B-because I know you are."

"Well, I'm not staring at you" Naruto childishly pouted before turning his back on Hinata. With a huff, Naruto grabbed a set of twigs of the ground and took up drawing stick figures in various forms of fighting.

"Is there anyway to signal your cousin?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know…. you made veins bulge out your head. Maybe you can make him come."

Hinata mentally face-palmed at his ridiculous answer.

"S-sending out a signal would alert others to our position as well if I did that." Hinata replied in a slightly condescending tone. "Neji is more than capable of finding us."

Naruto sighed before going back to drawing in the dirt. Instead of drawing fighting figures, he took up drawing naked woman surrounded by clouds of mist at private areas, or in a bikini, striking seductive poses. Satisfied with his works, titled _Orioke_, Naruto threw his sticks aside.

"Is this what you do in your spare time?" a deep baritone voice asked from above.

Jumping back in surprise, his head shot up to look into the trees. Standing on the branch directly above Hinata was Neji. The Hyuuga was now wearing a white shirt with loose sleeves, closed on the right shoulder, with a fastener running down the right part of the chest, matching pants, with a dark navy grey apron tied around his waist and these funny looking black sandals that were open at the toes and ended at mid calf. Two light grey pouches hung from his waistband.

Regaining his composure, Naruto jumped energetically to his feet.

"Finally you're here. Now can someone tell me whats going on?"

Taking Hinata to the side, the Hyuugas proceeded to ignore him as they discussed what to do with him. In intervals, the girl would look in his direction then look away. Naruto could tell it was a one-sided discussion. Undoubtedly, whatever they decided to do, it would be Neji's choice.

"We're taking you to see Chikako" Neji said as he unclipped one of the pouches and handed it to Hinata who secured it to her right thigh.

"Who is that" Naruto questioned as the three moved out.

"She was an advisor to the Head of the Clan until she was proclaimed insane" Neji replied.

"What?! Hold up your taking me to a crazy woman?!" Naruto exclaimed as he came to halt.

"It really doesn't signify anything" Neji said with a disdainful glare towards Naruto outburst.

"No. Where I'm from people are called crazy for a reason" the teen huffed out.

"She's not really c-crazy" Hinata jumped in, trying to tame the situation. "Some of her views were just bit controversial and outlandish in the eyes of the Elders."

"And you're taking me to her because?" Naruto said, ignoring Hinata's explanation.

"Look you have three options," Neji said as he came to sudden stop and turned to face Naruto. "One, we can turn you back in on grounds of trespassing on Hyuuga territory. Two, we leave you here in this forest to survive on your own. Or Three: We take you to Chikako."

"Fine. Let's go."

Silently, the trio trekked through the forest as sun inched lower and lower in the sky. When the sun's final rays left the sky, an onset of noise came forth over the night. Birds flittered through the trees, squawking back and forth. The bushes rustled as beasts of the night prowled for prey. Nevertheless, the two Hyuugas kept moving forward at a steady pace. Tired, he trudged behind them dragging his feet sluggishly.

After trekking for a little over half an hour, they came to medium-sized hut. The hut was situated under a cluster of trees at the edge of the clearing. The glow of light could be seen through the windows.

"So _who _exactly is this "Chikako"?" Naruto asked as he wiped to the sweat from his brow for the hundredth time.

Standing in front of the door, was a elderly women of petite stature dressed in simple brown robes and tan sandals. Her graying hair was tied up tightly in a bun. The woman coolly regarded the trio.

"This is Chikako."


End file.
